Backup Documents 06/26/2012 Item # 6B1+e1M* -(o i3
Jvne be,2viZ
My name is Richard Rogan, V.P. of the Naples Heritage Homeowners Association. I am
here with Patrick Dorbad, G.M. of our Club. We are "requesting approval for the
installation of Advance Street signs at the entrance to our community off of Collier Blvd.
There are two entrances into Naples Heritage; one off of Collier Blvd (CR951) and one
off of Davis Blvd. Many of our residents experience difficulty negotiating the turn into our
community off of Collier Blvd. (CR951) onto Naples Heritage Drive. While we have not
yet had an incident, we feel strongly that we are dealing with an "accident waiting to
happen." This is about to become more critical now that the widening of Davis Blvd. in
front of our main gate is getting underway. We anticipate that many more residents will
be using the entrance on Collier Blvd. to avoid the construction which is likely to take
18 -24 months.
In April, 2010 we made a request of the Department of Transportation and Engineering
that Advance Street Signs be installed both northbound and southbound on Collier
Boulevard (CR951) identifying Naples Heritage Drive. Our understanding of the
guidelines contained in the Traffic Engineering Manual, paragraph 2.37.6 (copy
attached to our request to speak) required that a dedicated left turn lane be present and
that the speed limit on the major road not be less than 45 miles per hour. Both
conditions are present. In addition, the number of Advance Street Signs in place at non -
signalized intersections on Rattlesnake Hammock, Livingston and at other locations
around Naples would indicate that our request was consistent with current practices. In
fact, we also received some verbal encouragement that our request was appropriate.
We were advised that a new Guideline was under development and that there would be
some delay. The drafts that we have seen since incorporate the requirement for an
average daily vehicle count of 2000 on the minor roadway or that it serve as the single
access to a residential development with a minimum of 600 homes. Acknowledging that
we do not meet either of these requirements, but also not having been officially turned
down, we decided to come before the Commission to request an exemption from what
we thought were the new guidelines. As I said earlier, the upcoming construction on
Davis Blvd. has added to our anxiety.
Since having been placed on today's agenda, we have learned that the new guidelines
had not been put in place yet and are indeed scheduled to be approved by this
Commission today. In the past two weeks we have been contacted twice with the
suggestion that we withdraw our request to speak today and file a request for
consideration after the new guidelines are approved. Quite frankly, nothing seems to
have happened in the last 26 months. Giving up an opportunity to document our case
now doesn't feel very good. We think that our patience has earned us some sort of
consideration. If establishing new guidelines can wait 26 months, it is apparent that
there is little demand for what we are asking. Surely making an exception from
whatever rules or guidelines now apply is not likely to create an avalanche of similar
requests.
Can we just get a couple of signs?